Best Android smartwatch in 2021

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Whether you use it for its fitness tracking features, or as a less distracting alternative to your phone, a smartwatch can be a great addition to your tech arsenal in 2021. However, if you have an Android phone and are unwilling to switch to an iPhone, you’re going to have to forgo the popular Apple Watch in favor of a wearable that’s compatible with your preferred operating system. Luckily, there are plenty worthy Android smartwatch contenders for just about any budget that offer key features like activity tracking and other fitness features, a heart rate sensor, Samsung pay and more.

If you’re looking for the best Android smartwatch, check out the recommendations below. You’ll notice we’re not recommending any watches powered by Google’s Wear OS for two reasons: We haven’t reviewed many new ones in the last year, and we weren’t too impressed by them to begin with. And now that Google has acquired Fitbit, we expect the company to double down on that brand — and its Fitbit OS — going forward. Samsung watches, meanwhile, run its Android-friendly Tizen operating system. Every device listed here is a solid wearable with great smartwatch features that pairs seamlessly with your Android device or Android phone. We’ll update this best Android smartwatch list periodically as we review new products.

Angela Lang/CNET

The Versa 3 is compatible with both iOS and Android phones and lets you choose between Alexa or Google Assistant as your go-to voice assistant. It doesn’t offer all the apps and smart features that some of its competitors do, but it’s a well-rounded smartwatch with plenty of health and fitness features to keep you on track, such as onboard GPS and live heart rate monitoring notifications. It’s the best on this list for sleep tracking, and it even gives you a breakout of your SpO2 and body temperature data overnight (for Fitbit Premium users). Battery life is also better than most: I got about four full days (and nights) of use with the screen always on.

Read our Fitbit Versa 3 review.

 

Angela Lang/CNET

The Active 2 offers almost all of the same smartwatch features as the new Galaxy Watch 3, including an ECG app and fall detection, for about half the price. It’s not as flashy as the Watch 3 with its physical rotating bezel and thicker frame, but it’s less bulky and more comfortable to wear at night and during workouts. The Active 2 handles calls, texts and app notifications, and this Samsung smartwatch offers Spotify support as well as all the basic fitness features for activity tracking you’ll need. You can also get an LTE edition of this smartwatch, which gives you LTE connectivity to receive calls on the go without your Android smartphone nearby.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review.

 

Lexy Savvides/CNET

If you’re looking for a fitness-focused Android watch without too many distractions, which works with both Android and iOS, the Garmin Venu Sq is the watch to get. It has a built-in GPS, plenty of workout options to choose from, and lots of fitness tracking data about your workout like heart rate zones and running dynamics in the mobile app. 

It also doubles as a health tracker with high and low heart rate alerts, a comprehensive sleep analysis and SpO2 tracking. It measures blood oxygen levels on demand, or automatically throughout the day and night just like the latest Apple Watch Series 6, but for half the price. But you do compromise on design. The watch has a plastic frame, and the watch face’s screen isn’t as big or as vibrant as those on some of the other watches on the list.

Read our Garmin Venu Sq review.

 

Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET

If you’re looking to get more value for money, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the Amazfit Bip S. This $70 smartwatch is compatible with either an iOS or Android device and checks most of the boxes when it comes to features: heart rate sensor, always-on display, built-in GPS tracking and the best battery life of any device on this list. You can get up to 40 days of use on a charge, or about two weeks of heavy usage with the GPS on and brightness up (a time that’s still above and beyond the rest). 

You may have to make some sacrifices when it comes to aesthetics, though, as it has a plastic casing and the screen isn’t as bright or responsive as watches from Samsung and Apple.

Read our Amazfit Bip S review.

 

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